3 Things You Didn't Know About Your Multivitamins

Published: May 04, 2016

Many people wonder if they really need to take a daily multivitamin. The answer is YES! You’re likely already aware that multivitamins are not meant to replace a healthy diet, but rather, that they provide nutritional “insurance” to supplement any gaps that do exist in your diet. However, did you know that multivitamins also have other key benefits for your health?

Here are three things you may not know about your multivitamins:

1) They are naturally energizing

While severe vitamin deficiency diseases such as scurvy are rare, mild deficiencies commonly exist and can cause general symptoms of poor health such as fatigue and lack of concentration. Taking a daily multivitamin will help to improve your overall health if you have a mild nutrient deficiency by providing vitamins and minerals that you may otherwise not be getting enough of in your diet.

The eight water-soluble B vitamins in particular are responsible for a number of tasks in the body, including helping to convert the nutrients in the food you eat into useable energy. So if you’re feeling fatigued, moody or suffering from a lack of concentration – your multivitamin may give you that extra boost of energy you need to get through the day.

2) They can provide immune support

Many nutrients, such as vitamins C and D, play a role in keeping your immune system healthy, so that your body is better able to fend off illness and infection. Secondly, excess stress can rob the body of essential nutrients, while at the same time, lowering the effectiveness of the immune system. The B vitamins for example, are commonly depleted under stress, in which case they are no longer fully available for energy production and proper mental function, resulting in tiredness, stomach upset and lowered immunity to colds, viral infections, and other illnesses. All of these key nutrients can be found in a daily multivitamin.

3) They are formulated to provide you with basics - and beyond

Multivitamins help prevent basic nutrient deficiencies when your diet falls short. But they can also be formulated to include higher levels of certain vitamins, to help support your good health beyond just your basic needs -think: vitamin C for better immune system health, or vitamin D for heart health support.

To ensure that you can further benefit from these nutrients required for optimal health, it’s important that you look for a multivitamin that has been formulated to include 100% of Health Canada’s Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) guidelines for daily nutrient intake. The RDA is the minimum daily amount of a nutrient required to prevent deficiency, such as the amount of vitamin C you need daily to prevent scurvy, the vitamin C deficiency disease.

However, you are most likely aiming for optimal health, not just deficiency prevention. So to reap the health benefits of vitamin C, such as immune system and antioxidant support, you’ll need your vitamin C at a level beyond the RDA. This is why looking for a multivitamin with 100% or more of your daily RDA is beneficial.

When it comes to the RDA, it’s important to note that Health Canada has set a range for individual nutrients that is considered healthy and safe. For example, the range for vitamin C intake for healthy adults is from 75 milligrams (100% of your RDA to prevent deficiency) to 2,000 milligrams (the safe upper limit for additional health benefits). This means you can consume more than 100% of the RDA for most vitamins to obtain their health benefits, as long as you don’t exceed the established daily upper limit. Jamieson’s New 100% Complete Multivitamins are formulated to help you meet a variety of needs by providing you with 100% or more of your RDA as recommended by Health Canada.

Because everyone’s dietary and lifestyle needs are different, consulting with your doctor can help you determine where in the range of nutrient intake you should aim for, in order to reap the benefits you need.

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